Nurses who are practicing in a clinical setting should take a look at the employment outlook for nurse educators when planning future career moves. There are many different routes that an experienced nurse can travel down once they are educated, licensed, and experienced in a specialty area. Nurses who are naturally gifted at teaching should take a look at becoming nurse educators. A promising outlook has been forecast in this field.
What is the Employment Outlook for Nurse Educators in the US?
Demands for nurse educators can rise and fall. There will always be a need for registered nurses. In turn there always be a need for nurse educators who prepare both new students and experienced nurses. This includes delivering general nursing curriculum and specialty curriculum. This is why nursing instruction is a good fit for professionals with experience who want to try something off the pace. The outlook is reassessed once every five to 10 years. So it’s wise to see how employment outlook has been estimated every so often before transitioning to another career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the field of nursing education is expected to grow by .8 percent by 2031. That number is much higher than the national average for all employment change.How the Demand for Nurses Affects Outlook
The employment outlook in many fields is directly impacted by outside factors. Demand for better online marketing campaigns could create a higher demand for marketers. But in this case, the factors that drive employment changes in nursing education are very much economic and demographic in nature. To really see how demographics in the country can affect the need for education, you must start with growing mortality rates. As individuals in the country reach a higher age of maturity, the need for medical care rises. In turn, the demand for nurses in all settings grows. In fact, according to the Nurse Journal, there will be a need for 19% more nurses by 2020. This is an estimated total of 1 million positions that must be filled in just a few years. Unfortunately, there is a shortage in the supply of nurse educators to teach prospective nursing students. The shortage only continues to grow. There is undoubtedly a need for more educators.Region is Often Important
Region definitely influences employment outlook and how likely an experienced educator is to find a position quickly. In regions where there is a large supply of nursing programs to choose from, it is relatively easy for an experienced nurse educator to find a position. In rural areas where demand is low and there isn’t a presence of nursing schools, finding an opening could be much more difficult.How to Become a Nurse Educator
Nurse educators must hold their RN license. They must also have clinical experience, preferably in the specialty area that they plan on teaching. In addition to the education and experience in a specialization area, nurses should earn their Master’s of Science to become a Nurse Practitioner and then their Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing to become a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing. Many fields and specialty areas in health care settings are flourishing. For nurses who want to step away from the front lines to prepare other nursing professionals to do the same, nursing education could be a great option. Keep up with new information on the employment outlook for nurse educators and decide if the academic effort is worth the change.Related Resources:
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